The present invention relates generally to teaching aids for the sport of golf, and more particularly to an indoor/outdoor putting stroke teaching aid apparatus.
All golfers realize the importance putting plays in the game of golf, and recognize that many strokes can be saved during a round of golf by good putting. However, golfers of all levels of ability struggle, at least from time-to-time, with their putting stroke. As such, putting stroke teaching aid apparatuses have been proposed for assisting golfers of all abilities to improve their putting stroke.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,326, shows an apparatus which provides three posts that are connected to one another by a cord suspended above the ground. The length of the cord is adjustable such that the distance between the posts can be changed to meet the golfer's needs, and it serves as an alignment guide for the golfer. Although this construction works well on an outdoor putting green, it has no utility indoors because the posts must be driven into the ground for support. Additionally, although the cord is utilized as an alignment guide for the golfer, it cannot be adjusted in height, and as such cannot be lowered into proximity to the putting surface to restrict upward lifting movement of a putter by the golfer during a putting stroke. The height to which a putter head is drawn during the back swing of a putting stroke is an important element of a good swing, and the conventional teaching aid apparatus is incapable of being adjusted in height to facilitate instruction of this element of the stroke. Further, the noted type of apparatus does not provide a cup-like structure, but rather must be used on a putting green with an actual cup.
An example of another known type of putting stroke teaching aid apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,869,875, wherein an apparatus has two U-shaped wickets that are positioned apart from one another with a cord stretched between the two wickets. The cord is contained on a reel, making the distance between the wickets adjustable. However, height adjustment of the cord is not possible, and the cord is attached to the side edges of the wickets such that the cord is offset laterally from the line along which a golf ball is to travel toward a target defined by the wickets. As such, the known type of apparatus does not allow a golfer to practice proper alignment by looking directly down onto both the cord and the target line, as would be desirable.